IELNDMH - Chapter 92 < The Masquerade Begins >
I Ended Up Living Up Next Door With My Ex-Husband
“How do you feel about returning home, Camilla?”
Camilla frowned slightly at Duke Bold's question.
She was even more annoyed because she was checking her face in a hand mirror.
Right now, she was dressed like an unusually reserved Cortisan.
No, even if she looked better than him, she suddenly became rich and looked like a woman from a wealthy family with no culture or fashion sense.
There was no better way to pretend to be the Duke of Bold's new mistress.
That's why she felt down when she realized that even though she had put on her mind and put on makeup, she was looking down and out of character.
Moreover, when she heard Duke Bold's sly smile and his tone of voice as if he was making fun of a prostitute...
'It's so disgusting it's driving me crazy. I want to shoot that person first before I kill Rebecca.'
Contrary to her inner thoughts, Camilla's eyes were slightly curved.
“It feels like I’m back in my hometown, and surprisingly, it’s really good.”
“...”
“Perhaps it is because I can take revenge with my own hands-on Her Highness the Grand Duchess, who so cruelly abandoned me.”
She looked down at the poison ring on her hand and smiled at Duke Bold again.
“Of course, Duke Bold feels the same way as me, right?”
In response to Camilla's insidious question, Duke Bold shrugged his shoulders and turned his gaze to his window.
After that, he maintained that posture, but in fact, the scene outside the window did not enter his field of vision at all.
'Today my daughter Rebecca dies.'
He would have wished for that to happen dozens, if not hundreds, of times. But when that day came, he couldn't help but feel a little bit sentimental.
Of course, it wasn't a feeling of guilt.
Strictly speaking, it is Camilla who has Rebecca's blood on her hands today, not him.
Nevertheless, the reason why his senseless sentiments bloomed probably stemmed from the affection for his blood relatives that remained as thin as a thread.
'Then why are you being so stupid, Rebecca? How dare you think of fighting with me.'
Duke Bold frowned and clicked his tongue lightly.
From the time Rebecca was old enough to understand his words, there was a saying he had always told her over and over again.
‘Become a worthy child to your father. Otherwise, no matter how much you are my child, to me you are just a rat stealing my grain. And that rat will die by having its head cut off at the end of the shovel handle.'
When it was necessary to prove his words, he did not hesitate to resort to violence.
Duke Bold had no doubt that it was the education Rebecca needed.
At the very least, it takes a lot of effort to obtain the obedience of an animal.
In return for his efforts, Rebecca grew up to be a high-quality stallion who obeyed everything he said.
No, he thought so.
Until just a few months ago.
'After you got married, you became fearless because you hadn't had your father beat you in all these years. That's why you dare to rebel against me.'
Unfortunately for Rebecca, who had such hopes, what he said all the time he was growing up was absolutely true.
Since heartlessness was a talent, he had no problem taking the life of his own child.
Moreover, if he thinks about it, isn't it her life that he gave herself?
There was nothing for Rebecca to feel unfair about, as he was just taking back what he had given.
No, shouldn't she be thankful to him for bringing her into this world and allowing her to enjoy all the luxuries?
So, at least for the sake of her father who brought her into the world and allowed her to grow up beautifully...
'You must die at the banquet today, Rebecca.'
A cool smile gradually began to spread across his face reflected in the glass window.
It was about 30 minutes after the scheduled start time of the banquet that I stood on the podium in the banquet hall.
The servant rang the bell several times, attracting everyone's attention.
The noise in the banquet hall gradually began to subside, and I finally raised my voice to the VIPs who were paying attention to me.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the distinguished guests who attended this masquerade ball that I personally hosted.”
Gentle applause came from all over the banquet hall.
“As this was an event held to promote the investment agency, we prepared a fun event.”
I continued, pointing to the huge glass beads hanging from long iron strings all over the ceiling of the banquet hall.
“If you wish to make a stable investment through an agency, please put a note with your name in the dictation. Then, we will contact you separately, and we plan to draw some of you and give you the benefit of supporting some of the investment funds, even if it is only a small amount, from our agency.”
Everyone looked intrigued when they heard that a portion of the investment would be supported.
“Since you all came wearing masks, you can challenge yourself without worrying about what your husband or wife will think, right?”
Light laughter came from here and there at my joking words.
I raised my glass of champagne high toward the guests who were paying full attention to me.
“Now then, shall we begin the banquet in earnest?”
There was loud applause as if they agreed with my words announcing the start of the banquet, and at the same time, the musicians began playing a more lively song.
It was when I came down from the podium that I realized that the banquet had finally begun.
“Your Highness, you are truly amazing! I was looking forward to it, but this party was much bigger than my humble expectations!”
At the foot of the podium, Anton greeted me with a flushed face.
“Oh, Anton? I almost didn’t recognize you!”
That wasn't just a greeting.
Perhaps because I had prepared a suitable banquet suit for him earlier and sent someone to help him decorate his appearance on the day, Anton had an incomparably more neat appearance than usual.
No, it's just neat.
'Maybe it's because he took off his glasses, but Anton looks pretty handsome like this, right?'
Seeing Mina's eyes widen as if they were about to burst, it seemed like I wasn't the only one who thought that way.
“Oh, this is... I just wore what Her Highness chose. Haha....”
Anton kept glancing at Mina while smoothing the back of his head as if he were embarrassed.
'It's a good thing I sent someone to Anton. Thanks to you, today's work will go easier.'
I wanted Anton to give a trustworthy impression to the people at this banquet today.
The more he does this, the more likely it is that people will entrust him with investment management.
“Anton, let me introduce you to the nobles of the North. Come here.”
I led Anton to a group of nobles.
It was none other than a gathering of the next generation of the Twins family in the North.
I exchanged brief greetings with them and then immediately introduced Anton.
“This wonderful gentleman is Anton Baker. This is a person I brought directly from the capital to run the agency. He is a person with great talent in investing in demonic material futures.”
Fortunately, they welcomed Anton, and Anton, who seemed a little nervous, quickly regained his composure over time.
“You probably want to invest in a new investment destination called Demon World Materials, but you probably have a lot of worries. It is difficult to predict how demonic materials will be used in the human world.”
“Yes, I guess that’s not the case.”
“But we are different. As an investment agency established by the Grand Duchess, the mistress of the Twins family, we can provide faster information on demon world materials than anyone else, and I have the know-how accumulated through direct investment and research into demon world materials.”
"Ohh...”
At Anton's words, the nobles each nodded with their eyes sparkling.
It was as expected.
Anton quickly caught the attention of the nobles, and I, relieved, quietly retreated and escaped the group.
I don't know if it was because the situation went more smoothly than I expected or because of the lively banquet atmosphere, but my expectations rose quickly.
'If this continues, I might be able to win more contracts than I thought.'
Next, it was time to look around the banquet hall looking for nobles who could introduce Anton.
I suddenly made eye contact with someone who was standing quite far away.
'..This.'
Unfortunately, the opponent was High Priest Diat.
It seemed like he was constantly watching me, but unlike usual, where he would immediately look away when his eyes met mine, he was now continuously watching me.
The eyes of High Priest Diat were still filled with distrust.
Before the banquet began, his suspicions seemed to be gradually becoming more severe.
'I guess I'll have to start acting with Cedric now.'
I secretly turned my eyes away from High Priest Diat and looked inside the banquet hall.
However, it was difficult to immediately find Cedric in the huge banquet hall.
It was a time when I was walking around looking around.
“Oh, Your Highness!”
“You are here!”
Three women wearing butterfly-shaped masks approached me, greeting me.
When I gave an awkward smile to their unfamiliar yet familiar voices, they slightly took off their masks to reveal their faces.
“Ah, you are Madame Montran.”
They were the mothers of the three children who had bullied Bianca before.
As my face hardened unconsciously, they again raised their voices in a fussy manner.
“This is my first time coming to the North in person, and it’s even better than I thought! It is truly worth it to come this far from the capital!”
“Who, who isn’t? What is the view of the Twins family like? The banquet was prepared with such care, ho, ho...”
In the silence that followed, we awkwardly exchanged glances for a moment.
Judith's mother, the Duchess Montran, the main culprit who harassed Bianca, took a step forward.
“My children were supposed to apologize to Princess Bianca at the tea party commemorating His Majesty’s birthday, right? But as you know, Count Bart ended up like that at the imperial banquet hall...”
“The tea party was canceled.”
She nodded her head at my firm words and briefly exchanged glances with the women standing next to me.
Then they finally turned around and gestured somewhere.
“That’s why I brought my children here. I want to offer a proper apology to Princess Bianca.”
No sooner had the Duchess Montran finished speaking than the three children approached me, each holding her nurse's hand.
Finally, all the children standing in front of me looked nervous.
Erica, Mary, and even Judith, who was so confident.
“Your, Your Highness, hello....”
"Hello...”
The children hesitated for a long time even after saying hello.
Likewise, Judith could barely speak after her mother, Madame Montran, stabbed her in the side.
“Well, all of us... We came to offer a sincere apology to Princess Bianca, Your Highness.”
Camilla frowned slightly at Duke Bold's question.
She was even more annoyed because she was checking her face in a hand mirror.
Right now, she was dressed like an unusually reserved Cortisan.
No, even if she looked better than him, she suddenly became rich and looked like a woman from a wealthy family with no culture or fashion sense.
There was no better way to pretend to be the Duke of Bold's new mistress.
That's why she felt down when she realized that even though she had put on her mind and put on makeup, she was looking down and out of character.
Moreover, when she heard Duke Bold's sly smile and his tone of voice as if he was making fun of a prostitute...
'It's so disgusting it's driving me crazy. I want to shoot that person first before I kill Rebecca.'
Contrary to her inner thoughts, Camilla's eyes were slightly curved.
“It feels like I’m back in my hometown, and surprisingly, it’s really good.”
“...”
“Perhaps it is because I can take revenge with my own hands-on Her Highness the Grand Duchess, who so cruelly abandoned me.”
She looked down at the poison ring on her hand and smiled at Duke Bold again.
“Of course, Duke Bold feels the same way as me, right?”
In response to Camilla's insidious question, Duke Bold shrugged his shoulders and turned his gaze to his window.
After that, he maintained that posture, but in fact, the scene outside the window did not enter his field of vision at all.
'Today my daughter Rebecca dies.'
He would have wished for that to happen dozens, if not hundreds, of times. But when that day came, he couldn't help but feel a little bit sentimental.
Of course, it wasn't a feeling of guilt.
Strictly speaking, it is Camilla who has Rebecca's blood on her hands today, not him.
Nevertheless, the reason why his senseless sentiments bloomed probably stemmed from the affection for his blood relatives that remained as thin as a thread.
'Then why are you being so stupid, Rebecca? How dare you think of fighting with me.'
Duke Bold frowned and clicked his tongue lightly.
From the time Rebecca was old enough to understand his words, there was a saying he had always told her over and over again.
‘Become a worthy child to your father. Otherwise, no matter how much you are my child, to me you are just a rat stealing my grain. And that rat will die by having its head cut off at the end of the shovel handle.'
When it was necessary to prove his words, he did not hesitate to resort to violence.
Duke Bold had no doubt that it was the education Rebecca needed.
At the very least, it takes a lot of effort to obtain the obedience of an animal.
In return for his efforts, Rebecca grew up to be a high-quality stallion who obeyed everything he said.
No, he thought so.
Until just a few months ago.
'After you got married, you became fearless because you hadn't had your father beat you in all these years. That's why you dare to rebel against me.'
Unfortunately for Rebecca, who had such hopes, what he said all the time he was growing up was absolutely true.
Since heartlessness was a talent, he had no problem taking the life of his own child.
Moreover, if he thinks about it, isn't it her life that he gave herself?
There was nothing for Rebecca to feel unfair about, as he was just taking back what he had given.
No, shouldn't she be thankful to him for bringing her into this world and allowing her to enjoy all the luxuries?
So, at least for the sake of her father who brought her into the world and allowed her to grow up beautifully...
'You must die at the banquet today, Rebecca.'
A cool smile gradually began to spread across his face reflected in the glass window.
***
It was about 30 minutes after the scheduled start time of the banquet that I stood on the podium in the banquet hall.
The servant rang the bell several times, attracting everyone's attention.
The noise in the banquet hall gradually began to subside, and I finally raised my voice to the VIPs who were paying attention to me.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the distinguished guests who attended this masquerade ball that I personally hosted.”
Gentle applause came from all over the banquet hall.
“As this was an event held to promote the investment agency, we prepared a fun event.”
I continued, pointing to the huge glass beads hanging from long iron strings all over the ceiling of the banquet hall.
“If you wish to make a stable investment through an agency, please put a note with your name in the dictation. Then, we will contact you separately, and we plan to draw some of you and give you the benefit of supporting some of the investment funds, even if it is only a small amount, from our agency.”
Everyone looked intrigued when they heard that a portion of the investment would be supported.
“Since you all came wearing masks, you can challenge yourself without worrying about what your husband or wife will think, right?”
Light laughter came from here and there at my joking words.
I raised my glass of champagne high toward the guests who were paying full attention to me.
“Now then, shall we begin the banquet in earnest?”
There was loud applause as if they agreed with my words announcing the start of the banquet, and at the same time, the musicians began playing a more lively song.
It was when I came down from the podium that I realized that the banquet had finally begun.
“Your Highness, you are truly amazing! I was looking forward to it, but this party was much bigger than my humble expectations!”
At the foot of the podium, Anton greeted me with a flushed face.
“Oh, Anton? I almost didn’t recognize you!”
That wasn't just a greeting.
Perhaps because I had prepared a suitable banquet suit for him earlier and sent someone to help him decorate his appearance on the day, Anton had an incomparably more neat appearance than usual.
No, it's just neat.
'Maybe it's because he took off his glasses, but Anton looks pretty handsome like this, right?'
Seeing Mina's eyes widen as if they were about to burst, it seemed like I wasn't the only one who thought that way.
“Oh, this is... I just wore what Her Highness chose. Haha....”
Anton kept glancing at Mina while smoothing the back of his head as if he were embarrassed.
'It's a good thing I sent someone to Anton. Thanks to you, today's work will go easier.'
I wanted Anton to give a trustworthy impression to the people at this banquet today.
The more he does this, the more likely it is that people will entrust him with investment management.
“Anton, let me introduce you to the nobles of the North. Come here.”
I led Anton to a group of nobles.
It was none other than a gathering of the next generation of the Twins family in the North.
I exchanged brief greetings with them and then immediately introduced Anton.
“This wonderful gentleman is Anton Baker. This is a person I brought directly from the capital to run the agency. He is a person with great talent in investing in demonic material futures.”
Fortunately, they welcomed Anton, and Anton, who seemed a little nervous, quickly regained his composure over time.
“You probably want to invest in a new investment destination called Demon World Materials, but you probably have a lot of worries. It is difficult to predict how demonic materials will be used in the human world.”
“Yes, I guess that’s not the case.”
“But we are different. As an investment agency established by the Grand Duchess, the mistress of the Twins family, we can provide faster information on demon world materials than anyone else, and I have the know-how accumulated through direct investment and research into demon world materials.”
"Ohh...”
At Anton's words, the nobles each nodded with their eyes sparkling.
It was as expected.
Anton quickly caught the attention of the nobles, and I, relieved, quietly retreated and escaped the group.
I don't know if it was because the situation went more smoothly than I expected or because of the lively banquet atmosphere, but my expectations rose quickly.
'If this continues, I might be able to win more contracts than I thought.'
Next, it was time to look around the banquet hall looking for nobles who could introduce Anton.
I suddenly made eye contact with someone who was standing quite far away.
'..This.'
Unfortunately, the opponent was High Priest Diat.
It seemed like he was constantly watching me, but unlike usual, where he would immediately look away when his eyes met mine, he was now continuously watching me.
The eyes of High Priest Diat were still filled with distrust.
Before the banquet began, his suspicions seemed to be gradually becoming more severe.
'I guess I'll have to start acting with Cedric now.'
I secretly turned my eyes away from High Priest Diat and looked inside the banquet hall.
However, it was difficult to immediately find Cedric in the huge banquet hall.
It was a time when I was walking around looking around.
“Oh, Your Highness!”
“You are here!”
Three women wearing butterfly-shaped masks approached me, greeting me.
When I gave an awkward smile to their unfamiliar yet familiar voices, they slightly took off their masks to reveal their faces.
“Ah, you are Madame Montran.”
They were the mothers of the three children who had bullied Bianca before.
As my face hardened unconsciously, they again raised their voices in a fussy manner.
“This is my first time coming to the North in person, and it’s even better than I thought! It is truly worth it to come this far from the capital!”
“Who, who isn’t? What is the view of the Twins family like? The banquet was prepared with such care, ho, ho...”
In the silence that followed, we awkwardly exchanged glances for a moment.
Judith's mother, the Duchess Montran, the main culprit who harassed Bianca, took a step forward.
“My children were supposed to apologize to Princess Bianca at the tea party commemorating His Majesty’s birthday, right? But as you know, Count Bart ended up like that at the imperial banquet hall...”
“The tea party was canceled.”
She nodded her head at my firm words and briefly exchanged glances with the women standing next to me.
Then they finally turned around and gestured somewhere.
“That’s why I brought my children here. I want to offer a proper apology to Princess Bianca.”
No sooner had the Duchess Montran finished speaking than the three children approached me, each holding her nurse's hand.
Finally, all the children standing in front of me looked nervous.
Erica, Mary, and even Judith, who was so confident.
“Your, Your Highness, hello....”
"Hello...”
The children hesitated for a long time even after saying hello.
Likewise, Judith could barely speak after her mother, Madame Montran, stabbed her in the side.
“Well, all of us... We came to offer a sincere apology to Princess Bianca, Your Highness.”
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